A Piece of Meat and Peace with Me

A Piece of Meat and Peace with Me
(April 9, 2015)

It's strange that an everyday experience can spark a moment to contemplate and re-evaluate the past and possibly the future. It all began last week as I was planning Easter lunch for my family. I really wanted it to be special and reflect the time and energy and love that would go into the meal. I created a simple menu with the star being a brisket. I went to a big chain store (which will remain nameless) to buy the meat and a few other items. While perusing the meat aisles, I stopped to sample pork which was being doled out by a nice lady in a white apron and hovering over an electric skillet. The pork smelled really good, looked good, and tasted equally as good. She convinced me that I could buy an 8 lb. pork roast, ask the butcher to cut 1/3 of it into a roast and the remainder into pork chops. I abandoned the brisket plan, opted for the pork, and was so pleased that I was not only a thrifty shopper but that I was going to impress my family with my culinary skills.

All was going as planned. I immediately went home and divided the pork chops into separate packets for freezing and I prepared the roast portion for the crock pot. It cooked all night and the next morning the house smelled wonderful. My family arrived for lunch, I served the pork roast, and we all enjoyed a lovely Easter Sunday.

Then, reality set in. After our company left, James told me he didn't particularly care for the pork. "Why not?", I demanded. He said that, to him, it tasted "processed" and bland. Well, not only was I disappointed but this is when my quandary began. What was I to do with all the leftover pork roast and pork chops? From this point, it all went downhill.

James suggested I make pulled pork sandwiches. So, the next night, I set out to salvage the leftover pork roast. I chopped, shredded, added barbeque sauce, Tabasco sauce, garlic powder, more barbeque sauce, and voila! -- the result was horrible. It looked and tasted disgusting. So, it went to the garbage. Now, I'm stuck with about a dozen 1" thick pork chops in my freezer which will eventually join the "faux" barbeque pork in the trash.

The moral of this story is that "you get exactly what you pay for". And isn't that usually true in all of life? There are not many things -- or sometimes people -- in life that are just TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. Whether it's 8 lbs. of pork that cost me $15 (that should have been my first clue) or meeting someone who appears to be the most wonderful human being on earth, caution is paramount.

Oh yes, I could write a book on the subject of "It's Just too Good to Be True". I dare say, there are others who could co-author with me. Have you met a person and think they are God's gift to humanity? Over time, you realize that he/she is just a bad "piece of pork". In the beginning, it was good. You invest time and energy into this person and no one is holding a gun to your head, you just do it because it feels good and makes you happy. Then, time passes and the flavor of the relationship begins to become a little "processed" and less tasty. The remedy is then to ADD some ingredients to the relationship with more of your valuable time, and even investing money, gifts, and commitment. Finally, it becomes apparent that the relationship is not fun, joy is gone, and ultimately a decision is made to end the relationship, i.e. take it to the garbage.

Fortunately, after knowing a few "bargain pork roasts" in my life, I have become more selective with the people I chose to be in a relationship. At my age, it's okay to decide early on that someone may not be good for me and to decide to just move on. And, this life lesson applies to men and women as this is not a male/female issue but a humanity issue. It is important to protect oneself from getting involved in destructive and life-sucking, joy-robbing relationships.

And, as usually is the case in self-evaluation, I eventually turn the table around and consider, AM I WHAT I PROJECT MYSELF TO BE? AM I ONE OF THOSE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE TYPES? Am I someone who people deem worthy to be involved in a relationship? Do I take, take, take, and then suck the life out of my friends, family, and God forbid, my husband? That's a lot of questions!

I confess that, in the past, I have been "less than tasty" and probably should have been tossed out with the garbage. But, and here's the best thing about all this, in spite of my unsavory failures and selfish behavior there is One who can create in me a heart that is tender, joyful, not "faux" but the real deal. Opening my heart to Christ will allow Him to place me in healthy relationships and to be the kind and loving person that others want to know. I can never assume that "I am too good to be true" but I can strive, with God's help, to bring peace, love, and joy into all my relationships.